1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a beverage dispensing valve having an improved construction and several new improvements.
2. The Prior Art
There are a great quantity of prior examples of beverage dispensing valves, both in pre-mix and post-mix embodiments. Pre-mix beverage is finished beverage made at a bottling plant and is the same as bottled or canned beverage; a pre-mix beverage dispensing valve has one fluid line and usually has some kind of device to effect a gradual pressure drop for preventing foaming. Post-mix beverage is a different practice. In post-mix, a syrup concentrate is combined with water during dispensing. A post-mix dispensing valve has two fluid lines, one for syrup and the other for water. Each fluid line has a normally closed valve element and there's usually a mix spout downstream of the two valve elements. In the U.S., the commercial manufacturers of pre-mix valves are Cornelius and Hausen; Cornelius, Alco, Booth, K-Way, Flowmatic, McCann, Multiplex, and Concession Services are manufacturers of post-mix dispensing valves.
Existing post-mix beverage dispensing valves are quite extensive in form and construction. Each valve example has its good and bad points. Each valve seems to have a unique capability that other valves do not have. All of the known to be desirable features are not available in a single valve. There is a valve that is disconnectible, there is a quick disconnect valve, there are electric valves, there are manual valves, there are valves that have a nozzle that comes off, there are valves that have a separate actuator for dispensing only water, there are valves that have electronic dispensing controls with or without portion control, and there are valves with built-in flow controls. But, there is no single valve that has all of these. If a business needs different features for different retailing locations, different valves must be used and spare parts and service needs double and triple and so forth.
Drink temperature is a problem. A "random draw" is a drink dispensed after a dispenser has been sitting idle, or the first drinks when the business opens up. The physical mass of existing post-mix valves effects substantial heat transfer and warm-up of beverage in the valve and upstream from the valve, and random draw drinks are typically too warm and unacceptable. During extended draw dispensing, electric solenoids heat up and make the valve body too warm which adversely affects dispensing temperatures. In some valves, the beverage ingredients actually come in contact with the armature of the solenoids.
Virtually all valves that have electronic controls have had the control added on as an after-market accessory. None of the known adaptations are other than makeshift.
Most electric valves use two solenoids, one each for water and syrup. If either fails, the business is shut down as there is no manual override available for either solenoid, switch or electronic control failure. The use of two solenoids also doubles the failure probability and replacement of a solenoid which is in the beverage stream requires a break-open of the sealed beverage system. The use of a solenoid armature in actual contact with the beverage has given substantial metallic and/or sulfur off-taste problems in dispensed beverages.
Different valves have been required for different soft drink brands. Post-mix valves typically have side-by-side syrup and water ports and Coca-Cola has their syrup on the right side and their water on the left side. Pepsi-Cola and most other brands have their syrup on the left and their water on the right side. Other lesser and house brands couldn't care less about which side; they select the arrangement they personally prefer, taking into consideration the capability of the equipment they have. None of the known post-mix valves are capable of handling syrup and water in either side; the known valves are either right syrup only or left syrup only.
Disassembly for sanitation of the nozzle and syrup distributor is a problem. Some valves require tools for removal of the nozzle, some valves have nozzles that become stuck to the valve, and some have fastened in syrup distributors that are difficult and/or messy to remove. So, they aren't cleaned.
The existing electric post-mix valves are quite large, they are relatively heavy and consume a great amount of raw material such as plastic and wiring. They also must be spaced apart from one another a greater distance than is desirable particularly when compared to the lesser spacings required for pre-mix or manual post-mix valves.
The known post-mix valves do not have the capability of being all of manual, electric switch actuated, electronic control actuated and controlled, nor do they have the capability of being used in an alternative mode in the case of electrical or electrical component failure. These valves cannot be all of fixed, quick disconnect or disconnectable, and they cannot internally accept all of the various liquid flow controls including rubber washer, needle valve and adjustable flow control. The existing valves will not dispense at the accepted standard rate of 1.5 oz/sec and also at the present contemporary high-flow rate of 3.0 oz/sec.
Most of the existing post-mix valves utilize remote flow controls or have flow controls in the valve which are too small to be useful for the high flow rates or else are excessively sensitive because of their small size.
Insufficient strength of quick disconnects on beverage valves has been a problem. The disconnectable valves have taken too long to operate and are too large in physical size.
In the existing electronic valves, removal of the cover disturbs and moves the electronic control.
Accessibility for adjustments has been a problem. Various valves have adjustable devices that require access from above and below and from the front and from the side; these adjustments may also require special tools and/or a variety of tools.